Vaporizer



Feb. 18, 1936. J. ROBINSON VAPORIZER Filed March 14, 1932 W II I I I I v ri ln.

INVENTOR Jfiab/nsam BY ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 18, 1936 UiTE ATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

My invention relates to Vaporizers, or treatment devices, for generating hot medicated vapors of inhalation in the effective treatment of the common cold, sinus infection, catarrh, and

5 other afliictions of the respiratory organs. The

object is to provide a simple, convenient, inexpensive vaporizer having as one of its principal parts a receptacle or base in which the medicament to be vaporized from time to time is stored 10 in abundant quantity, and having a heat absorbing or storage member normally resting in the receptacle and adapted. to be removed therefrom and charged with heat externally of the receptacle and then replaced, therein into vaporizing l5 relation to the medicament.

Much distress is experienced, especially among residents of the more thickly populated industrial centers, and the damper climates, due to the common cold and to sinus infection. The

20 common cold is the acknowledged forerunner of numerous serious diseases. Both it and sinus infection, an affliction of great distress, are on the increase. Numerous medications are available to the public for the treatment of these afflictions,

25 and vaporizers exist which increase the efiectiveness of the application. But I am unaware of the previous existence of any simple efficient Vaporizer, low in cost, and which comprises a receptacle or base filled with the medicament to 30 be vaporized, and having a cover for the receptacle which includes or supports a heat absorbing storage member adapted to be heated anywhere externally of the receptacle and replaced therein to vaporize the medicament.

35 Many attempts have heretofore been made to encourage nasal hygiene in prevention or minimization of the common cold, sinus, catarrh and the numerous diseases which find entrance to the body through the respiratory organ. Hot concentrated medicated vapors of light bulk have been found to be a most effective and pleasing method of practicing this hygiene. But the expense and inconvenience of previous devices for producing and applying the vapors have been serious drawbacks, and in consequence the use of this beneficial treatment has been limited.

My invention removes the limitations and objections of these older constructions and produces a combined container and vaporizer appealingly simple and convenient, which encourages the practice of nasal hygiene, and which is salable at a price that makes it readily available to the masses, and usable anywhere.

I carry out my invention by the constructions and arrangements hereinafter described, pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improvement;

Figure 2 is a vertical section there through;

Figure 3 is a face view of a puppet or modified type of nozzle, adapted particularly to encourage the practice of nasal hygiene among children;

Figure 4 is aprofile view of this modified nozzle;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the heat-absorbing storage member. In this view the applicator or tube I1 is shown in cross section;

Figure 6 is a vertical section through a modification of the construction shown in Figure 1,

and

Figure 7 is a still further modification of the preferred form of my invention.

In carrying out my improvement I provide a base or receptacle 8 made to any desired shape, and of any suitable material, preferably glass.

A cover 9 is suitably removably attached to the receptacle or jar 8 as by means of threads as shown. A washer or packing I0 seals the joint. The cover may of course be hinged to or otherwise secured or fitted to the receptacle. It is preferably made of aluminum to the general shape illustrated, but it may be made of any other suitable material and shape. The cover is provided with air vents II, located about as shown, and with an upwardly extending hollow portion or shank l2. The shank rises above the top of the receptacle sufficiently to form a cone or other shaped housing or chamber to receive the heat absorbing, heat retaining, vaporizing member l4 when the receptacle is full, and terminates in a sleeve or friction bearing l5. The bearing is split on oppo- 85 site sides as at I6 to permit its sides to be sprung inwardly slightly so as to grip or press against the applicator or tube I1 and thus support the applicator and the heat storage vaporizing member I l in any desired adjusted position.

The applicator may be made of any suitable material such as heavy glass, Bakelite, or other composition, aluminum or other non-corrosive metal. The heat storage vaporizing member 14 may also be made of any suitable material such as metal or any fused or molded substance which is non-corrosive and which, without breaking or cracking, will absorb and retain heat. The member is provided with a neck or anchor portion l8 provided with a plurality of passages or vents I9 which extend the full length of the neck and flare suitably into the body of the heat storage vaporizing member. These passages may continue on down into and through the body of the member to form vent holes 20, as-indicated-in dotted lines diameter.

in Figure 2. The lower end of the tube or applicator I1 is pressed tightly over the grooved neck of the member, or into an opening therein, in retaining relation thereto, so that as the applicator is shifted vertically in the friction bearing I5 the heat storage vaporizing member I4 follows it and is thereby carried into and out of contact with the medicament within the base or receptacle 8. It will be understood of course that the member Id may be of any suitable size and may be otherwise secured to the applicator I1, and that by other means than the passages IS, the vents I I in the cover 9, air may on inhalation be drawn into the jar or receptacle and thence into the applicator I! to carry the hot medicated vapor into the nasal passages and respiratory organs. Upon entering the receptacle 8 the air is heated by the heat from the heat storage vaporizing member I4. While preferably ball shapedthis member may be differently formed, and it may or ,may not be provided with small cavities or indentations 2| over the lower half of its circumference to receive and hold the medicament that is being vaporized.

In preparing my improved vaporizer for use, the receptacle is filled with a suitable medicament to about the point illustrated in Figures 2 and 6. The applicator I'I, having been assembled on the heat absorbing, heat retaining, vaporizing member I4, is passed upwardly from the inside of the cover 9 through the friction bearing I5 until the member I4 rests in the housing formed by the c0Versee Figure 2. The removable nozzle 22, or the supplemental hollow or puppet nozzle 23,

illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, is then put in place.

When thus assembled the lower portion of the heat storage vaporizing member I4 projects into the medicament approximately one-fourth its As the medicament is consumed the member and applicator are adjusted downwardly in the friction bearing I5 to dip or otherwise bring the retaining member into adequate contact with the reduced quantity of medicament. The extent of this adjustment is such as to permit vaporization of practically all the medicament in the receptacle or vessel 8, see dotted lines in Figure 2. It will be understood that the cover 9 may be made to fit any standard container or jar. .both to the special receptacle forming a principal part of my invention, and to other standard types The construction illustrated is adaptable now in use for the packaging of medicaments.

To generate vapors with my improvement it is only necessary to remove the cover 9 from the receptacle and slide the applicator I'I downwardly until the heat absorbing, heat storage, vaporizing member projects a substantial distance below the cover-see dotted lines in Figure 2. The member is then placed under a hot water faucet, or in a pan of boiling water, for a few seconds or a minute. It may of course be heated over any suitable fiame, or on a stove or electric heater. The heat thus secured is stored in the heat retaining vaporizing member I4.

After suitably charging the member with heat the cover 9 is shifted on the applicator to the position shown in heavy lines in Figure 2, after which the heat storage vaporizing member is adjusted downament immediately adjacent and. engaging the member, and continues the vaporizing process for 1a numberof minutes constantly generating hot vapors. On holding the nozzle 22 to the nasal desired hot medicated vapors.

passage, air is on inhalation drawn through the vents I I into the receptacle and thence down and. through the passages I9 into the applicator I1 and upwardly into the nasal passages and respiratory organs, being heated and laden in transit with the hot medicated vapors.

The modification of my improvement shown in Figure 6 consists in providing the applicator I! with an enlarged thickened elongated hollow or solid heat storage vaporizing member 24 made of any suitable material and suitably secured to the applicator I l and which at all times when in place projects deep into the medicament or rests upon the bottom of receptacle 8. In operation the cover 9 of this modified form is removed and. the heat absorbing vaporizing member is heated in the manner previously described, whereupon the member and cover are replaced in and on the receptacle. The member is provided with air passages 25 which lead into the applicator I1 and H anchoring a small chain 27 to a lug or struck-out portion 28 of the cover 9, the chain carrying at its other end a suitable heat storage vaporizing member or ball 29. any desired shape, as for instance disc shape, and of any suitable material. It is heated in the manner previously described and is then replaced in the receptacle or base 8 to generate the During the period of vaporization this heat storage member drifts, of course, down into the medicament, thereby producing a greater quantity of vapor than if the extent of engagement of the member 29 with the medicament were limited. On inhalation the vapors are lifted through the elongated tubular neck 30 of the cover 9 in much the manner heretofore described. In this construction the separately formed tube or applicator I'l, Figures 1 to 6 inclusive, is omitted as are also the nozzles 22 and 23 shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive. The applicator or tubular neck 30 is an inexpensive substitute therefor, but of course the nozzle mentioned may if desired be applied to this construction of my invention and to the embodiment shown in Figure 6.

It will be understood that the temperature to which the heat storage vaporizing members I4,

zle member shown in Figures 3 and 4 is intended to carry at or near the hat band. place a pleasing catch word or phrase such as Doc Hotsmith.

I am aware that various rearrangements and substitutions of parts and design may be made for those I have shown and described, without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. It is therefore my desire not to be limited to the specific forms disclosed. I believe I am the first to produce a simple, inexpensive, eflicient vaporizer that can be quickly and. benefi- This member may be made to f cially heated and used anywhere by anyone, and which consists of only a receptacle or base member adapted to be abundantly stored with the medicament, and having a heat absorbing, heat retaining, vaporizing member normally void of heat, and entirely void of means for producing heat, and which is removable from the base or receptacle to be charged with heat externally applied, and thence replaced in the receptacle to produce the desired vapors in quantities predetermined either by the temperature of the vaporizing member or by its adjusted relation to the medicament.

What I claim is:

l. A device for generating vapors for inhalation, comprising in combination, a receptacle for a medicament, a heat absorbing member for receiving heat externally applied thereto and thus stored therein disposed on the receptacle and dependingly projecting into the medicament to cause vaporization thereof, means for adjusting the elevation of the heat absorbing member relative to the medicament level, and an applicator for conveying the medicament vaporized by said heat storage member to an afiected part.

2. A device for generating vapors for inhalation, comprising in combination, a receptacle for a medicament, a heat storage member for receiving heat externally applied thereto outside of said receptacle and thus stored in said member, said storage member being adapted to adjustably project into the medicament from above the surface of the same, means removably securing said member to the receptacle so that it may be quickly removed therefrom for the reception and absorption of heat, and an applicator for conveying the medicament vaporized by said heat storage member to an afiected part.

3. A device for generating vapors for inhalation, comprising in combination, a receptacle for a medicament, a heat absorb-ing member for receiving and storing heat exteriorly applied thereto outside of said receptacle, said member being normally adjustably suspended in said receptacle and adapted when charged with heat to be projected into the medicament to vaporize the same, and an applicator for conveying the vaporized medicament to an affected part.

4. A device for generating vapors for inhalation, comprising in combination, a receptacle, to cover therefor, a heat absorbing heat retaining vaporizing member normally occupying said receptacle and carried by said cover, and means whereby said vaporizing member may be extracted from said receptacle to be externally heated exteriorly of the receptacle and replaced therein into vertically variable vaporizing relation to a medicament in said receptacle.

5. A device for generating vapors for inhalation, comprising in combination, a receptacle, a heat absorbing heat retaining vaporizing member normally occupying said receptacle, a cover for the receptacle, an applicator connected with said heat absorbing member and extending through said cover, and means on the cover and gripping said applicator to support the applicator and said member in a desired adjusted position with respect to said receptacle, said heat retaining member being adapted to be charged with heat externally applied thereto outside of said receptacle.

6. A medicament vaporizing device comprising a heat absorbing member capable of storing and retaining heat exteriorly applied thereto, and said member constituting means for vaporizing a medicament when brought into contact therewith after being so heated, and a frictionally sustained tubular applicator coacting with said member for directing vapors generated thereby to afflicted parts, said applicator constituting means for supporting said member.

7. A medicament vaporizing device comp-rising a heat absorbing member capable of storing and retaining heat exteriorly applied thereto, and said member constituting means for vaporizing a medicament when brought into contact therewith after being soheated, a frictionally sustained tubular applicator coacting with said member for directing vapors generated thereby to afilicted parts, said applicator constituting means for supporting said member, and a closure member capable of being applied to a conventional medicament container, said closure member constituting a support for said heat absorbing member and applicator.

JOSEPH ROBINSON. 

